You are mine
Ye Youqing recognized Ci Ke’s voice, her brow furrowed, intending to push her away, yet feeling her undeniable fear, she helplessly lowered her arms, looking over the woman’s shoulder to the ground.
Under the dim light, the tall man was seen sitting on the ground, his brocade robe stained with mud, his forehead swollen with two bumps, clutching his head in pain.
Upon seeing this scene, Ye Youqing was speechless, thinking to herself that Ci Ke was indeed formidable.
With the soft body still clinging tightly to her, Ye Youqing looked down and spoke indifferently, “Let go.”
Qin Xin, who had been too frightened to move just moments before, now regained her senses and hurried forward to tug at Ci Ke, scolding, “How disrespectful, let go of my lady at once!”
The woman in her arms stiffened, seemingly realizing who had come. She hastily pushed Ye Youqing away and backed against a tree trunk, her eyes fixating on Ye Youqing tightly, like a startled little beast showing its defensive claws and teeth.
However, her legs seemed to have been frightened into softness, sliding down the tree, no wonder she didn’t flee.
“Is it you?” Ci Ke spoke with a face full of sarcasm, yet the fear in her altered voice was unmistakably exposed.
Ye Chengfu was still dizzy and struggling in the bushes, unable to get up, which gradually eased the tension in Ye Youqing’s heart. She met Ci Ke’s gaze with a calm demeanor: “How so?”
Ci Ke’s eyes were filled with deeper sarcasm: “I struck this scoundrel, are you going to arrest me?”
Upon hearing this, Ye Youqing slightly raised her eyebrows, puzzled by what had happened between the original owner and Ci Ke to cause such hostility and defensiveness.
“You called him a scoundrel; why would I arrest you for that?” Ye Youqing countered.
Suddenly, Ci Ke let out a cold laugh. She clasped her clothes tightly with one hand and moved the other towards her hair, trying to make her voice sound calm: “Who knows what a woman like you could do stupidly.”
“You lowly maid!” Suddenly, a low shout came from the ground. It was Ye Chengfu, who had finally recovered. He got up with the support of his knees and angrily stumbled forward.
Ci Ke quickly turned around, backed away from Ye Youqing with her back facing her, her eyes red at the corners and a fierce look surfacing. A cold silver light flashed in her hand. Ye Youqing’s eyes widened slightly. She stepped forward swiftly and grabbed Ci Ke’s wrist.
She saw Ci Ke withdraw a hairpin sharp as a dagger from her hair. If she didn’t stop her, it would have pierced Ye Chengfu’s chest directly.
Qin Xin, standing beside them, was already pale with fear. Fortunately, she covered her lips and didn’t make any sound.
“Ye Youqing!” Ci Ke shouted, her voice trembling. Seeing that Ye Chengfu was about to grab her neck, Ci Ke closed her eyes in despair. From somewhere unknown, she found another cold light and stabbed it behind her.
However, to her surprise, almost at the same moment, Ye Youqing reached out and grabbed a smaller potted plant, fiercely smashing it against the back of Ye Chengfu’s head. There was a crisp sound followed by a muffled groan, and the towering figure that was like Mount Tai came crashing down again.
This time, there was no movement.
The wind swept through the new leaves, under the red glow of the lanterns, silence prevailed. Ci Ke let her left hand be held, forgetting to struggle, her face full of disbelief.
Ye Youqing actually knocked Ye Chengfu unconscious with a potted plant.
“He is the Crown Prince; if he’s unconscious, a lie could be spun as an excuse, but if he were dead, from Duke’s Household to the Royal Family, the investigation would be relentless,” Ye Youqing’s voice, mild yet cold, came from behind her, “Put down the weapon.”
Ci Ke clenched her lips tightly, fiercely pulling her left hand from Ye Youqing’s grasp, and at the same time, retracting the blade that was but a finger’s width from Ye Youqing; head bowed, she breathed heavily in silence.
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Ye Youqing, looking at the slightly trembling graceful figure before her, intuition told her that this woman was not as cruel as depicted in the novel, or perhaps she had not yet endured as much suffering.
“Why are you helping me?” Suddenly, Ci Ke spoke.
It was actually Ye Youqing, it could have been anyone, but why was it Ye Youqing…
Ci Ke cast her gaze downward, clenching her hands tightly.
“Because I didn’t know it was you.” Ye Youqing answered truthfully, she dusted off the dirt from her palms, turned around, and pulled the nearly frightened-to-tears Qin Xin, pushing her out of this hidden corner.
Looking back, Ci Ke was still standing in the same place, her figure swaying, her face shrouded in shadows. The wind blew down a few leaves left over from last year, spiraling and falling onto her shoulders.
Suddenly, Ye Youqing felt that this scene was eerily desolate.
“The medicine in my room, it was you who administered it.” After hesitating for a moment, Ye Youqing finally spoke, her tone not questioning, but affirming.
Ci Ke made a noncommittal motion with her shoulders, then slowly stepped forward, her skirt dancing with the wind, elegantly circling around the mess on the ground.
“Why.” Ye Youqing asked again.
Ci Ke paused slightly, her voice growing softer: “It was just something to induce sleep.”
“Do you act this way because you are in love with Qin Wang?” Ye Youqing asked again.
This so-called evil supporting female character from the book was the first uncontrollable variable she encountered since arriving here. She wanted to understand Ci Ke’s intentions; otherwise, it wouldn’t be safe.
Fortunately, among all the emotions Ci Ke had shown now, there wasn’t a hint of harm, especially with that small sharp hairpin that paused by her waist earlier. If Ci Ke wanted, she could have definitely injured her.
Ci Ke suddenly sneered, still without an answer. Ye Youqing didn’t think too much of it, taking her silence as an affirmation, after all, this was also the answer in the original story.
Ye Youqing withdrew her gaze, no longer asking. She turned to leave, not expecting her sleeve to tighten, something pulling her back.
Ye Youqing turned her head, her gaze falling on those slightly pale, clenched hands, and then moved up to the woman’s richly delicate shoulders and blushing chin. The fragrance of makeup, which should have been pungent, was unexpectedly pleasant.
“Come here.” Ci Ke seemed to make up her mind, warily looking at Qin Xin, who was at a loss nearby, and then tugged Ye Youqing’s sleeve again.
Ye Youqing stared at her for a moment, then bent down to bring her ear close to Ci Ke’s lips.
The distance between the two suddenly closed, so much that Ye Youqing could hear Ci Ke’s heartbeat, clear and fervent.
“The matchmaker lied about his birth date and time.” Ci Ke spoke quietly, then quickly moved away, the warmth by her ear soon replaced by the night wind.
Ci Ke’s expression was somewhat complex, as if she was furious with herself for helping Ye Youqing. She bit her lip and then said stiffly, “As a repayment for saving me just now. If you persist in your silence, then pretend you didn’t hear it.”
Having said that, she picked up her skirt and turned to run out of the dim corner, her figure quickly disappearing.
Only Ye Youqing remained in place, her mind in turmoil because of these words. She stood calmly for a while, withdrawing her puzzled gaze.
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“Eldest, Eldest Miss…” Qin Xin finally spoke with a sob, stepping forward with reddened eyes, “Ci Ke is not a good person, always opposing you. You can’t…”
Ye Youqing reached out to hold the girl’s shoulder, stopping her from continuing, and then said seriously, “Wipe away your tears.”
Upon hearing this, Qin Xin hurriedly wiped away the tears that had been scared out of her with her sleeve. She understood clearly that following the Eldest Miss in the future, there would likely be many scenes like this one; she couldn’t always be so cowardly.
Stealing glances at Ye Youqing, Qin Xin felt both worried and reassured in her heart. It seemed like her lady had changed a lot. In the past, when encountering such situations, the lady would only cry even more than herself, like pear blossoms bathed in rain.
But just now, with a mere lift of her hand, she had knocked the Crown Prince unconscious, that calm and decisive manner really had an imposing air!
Thus, her gaze gradually became one of admiration: “Then, if the Crown Prince wakes up and blames us, what should we do?”
“Anyway, there were no witnesses.” Ye Youqing looked towards the dark sky, her gaze becoming gradually profound, “It’s about time, let’s go.”
When the two hurried over, the banquet had already begun. A path of red cloth spread over the artificial hill and corridor bridges, leading into countless fiery red lanterns under which the banquet was lit, its entrance hall brightly illuminated. A singer from Jiangnan was singing in a soft Wu dialect.
Since it was an engagement banquet, there weren’t many people, but rather, servants and family guards stood in full array, all guarding the entrance. Upon seeing Ye Youqing, they quickly made way and pulled the doors open, allowing the rich aroma of food to swiftly envelop the night air.
Only then did Ye Youqing realize that her stomach had been growling for a long time.
“How come the Eldest Miss only arrives now? The Duke was looking for you and almost got angry!” A petite-footed maid rushed out from the entrance hall, grabbed Ye Youqing, and dragged her inside, pulling Ye Youqing so that she was all askew.
Ye Youqing frowned secretly – a servant daring to drag and pull at their master like this showed just how low the original owner’s status was within the household.
“Servant Qian! Let go!” Qin Xin hurriedly stepped forward, pushing the petite-footed old maid away and glaring at her.
“Eldest Miss, please do not blame me, this old servant was merely acting according to the rules. This engagement ceremony is of utmost importance; missing the auspicious hour would lead to lifelong regret.” The petite-footed old maid feigned humility, her voice sharp.
Ye Youqing glanced at her sideways, committing her appearance to memory, then strode into the entrance hall.
Instantly, dozens of gazes converged on her, each carrying their own secretive thoughts. Among them, the most intense was from Qin Wang, who was holding a cup of wine and facing Duke Liang, his face adorned with a bright smile.
His eyes were set on victory.
Ye Youqing sneered inwardly, walking to an empty seat beside Duke Liang without glancing sideways. The table in front of her, coated in black lacquer, was already filled with fruits and dishes, and there was a box inlaid with jade patterns, looking quite luxurious.
Duke Liang’s eyes, filled with anger, lingered on her for a moment before he looked away, and the entrance hall gradually returned to its previous hustle and bustle.
“Qing’er.” A voice as warm as water came through, pinching Ye Youqing’s somewhat cold fingers, warming them for her.
Ye Youqing’s heart trembled, and she hurriedly looked up, seeing the woman from her dreams, she was momentarily stunned.
Zhao Qingrou had not yet become so haggard, but her cheeks were still deathly pale. Though her lips were tinted with lip rouge, it couldn’t hide the darkness. Fortunately, her eyes were extremely beautiful, softly open and looking at Ye Youqing, giving her a sense of solidity.
“Qing’er, why are you crying?” The woman tenderly wiped around her eyes, “It’s just a bit late, it won’t delay the auspicious time.”
She was crying? Ye Youqing reached out her hand in confusion and indeed caught a teardrop under her eye, quickly taking the handkerchief Qin Xin handed over to wipe it away.
“The wind outside is too strong.” Ye Youqing smiled, guessing that it might be the natural reaction of this body, feeling aggrieved and crying upon seeing her mother.
She took a deep breath and quickly pointed to the long wooden box on the table, changing the topic: “What is this?”
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Zhao Qingrou paused for a moment, sighed, and said: “Qing’er, how can you forget again, this golden hairpin is part of the traditional rites. Later, Qin Wang will insert the golden hairpin for you, which means he agrees to take you as his wife, and only then will the betrothal gifts be presented.”
“After the betrothal gifts are presented, you will truly leave Mother.” Zhao Qingrou’s words were tinged with melancholy.
Ye Youqing frowned upon hearing this, thinking to herself how unfair the ancient rites were, where the woman’s opinion was of little consequence.
She looked around and immediately noticed Ci Ke standing in a corner. Among the chirping and chatting of the women in the room, she still stood out, positioned behind Qin Wang, with her eyelashes lowered, making her expression unreadable.
The looks from the people in the room carried either disdain or curiosity, after all, Ye Youqing’s infamy for shamelessly pining after Qin Wang was well-known to everyone.
As she was observing Ci Ke, a shadow suddenly loomed over her head, and a dragon-shaped jade disc blocked her view. Then, the jade-patterned box on the table was opened, and a large hand pinched a golden hairpin.
“Qingqing, from now on, you are mine, and I will never let you down.” The man’s voice, tinged with a hint of drunkenness, sounded.
Looking up, Qin Wang could hardly conceal his pride as he took the hairpin and began to insert it into Ye Youqing’s hair.
LP: I’m really thankful I wasn’t born in ancient times (｡o_o｡)””
